Here I am in Italy, sat on my terrace while drinking water and watching the sun rise slowly on the horizon.
Below you can see the view in front of me which is motivating me to write this post:
It's half past five in the morning, but I'm wide awake.
Internet Marketing is a funny old game and it's certainly NOT the kind of work you can cram into a 9-5 existence.
You can't bottle creativity and sometimes I can go days, or even weeks, where I revel in just enjoying life while watching my business float on by.
And then there are other moments where I feel so inspired by the possibilities of life that sleeping becomes impossible.
Today is one of those days.
When I started my online business things were much more difficult than they are today.
I had a pretty hefty mortgage and a decent amount of commitments which meant I certainly didn't want to let anyone down.
Despite not enjoying the politics of teaching, I really did love working with the kids, and leaving the classroom was a gigantic wrench.
Most people told me I was crazy for even contemplating quitting such a secure job for something as unpredicatable as a fledgling Internet business, but for me the decision was already made.
Just buckle down... work the next 40 years... enjoy the cushy teacher pension... and then soak up retirement.
This was the nuts and bolts of the advice I was lectured on day after day, but I wanted something more from life.
Much more.
And I'm not talking about money.
I wanted FREEDOM.
The freedom to do what I wanted and when I wanted.
The freedom to know that I was in complete control of my life, and to have the kind of choices that most people only dream of.
I'm not here to sugar coat things for you.
Those first few months were tough.
The learning curve was steep and there were times when I was gripped by a mixture of pure excitement, raging fear, and a small amount of self doubt.
I'll never forget the first morning I should have woken up and driven to school, but instead was left lying in bed thinking "this is it... this is what I've been dreaming about".
All of a sudden the reality of the path I'd chosen hit me between the eyes and for the next six months I was a whirlwind of enthusiasm and I barely paused for breath.
My online business became my passion, my life, my everything.
When I think back now I'm not sure how I found the energy for this burst of activity, but I'm certainly glad I did.
You see, I'm not "supposed" to share this but starting an online business can be both time consuming and challenging.
I honestly believe that almost anyone has what it takes to make a full time living online IF they're prepared to educate themselves and apply what they've learned.
But it does take a degree of dedication for a period of time, and if you're serious about building a better life for yourself through the power of the Internet then you need to be willing to spend a few months hitting the odd brick wall.
That's the complete reality, but unfortunately most so called "gurus" don't often like to share this which is why so many beginners become riddled with self doubt and disappointment
HOWEVER, once you break through these early struggles the rewards are immense.
I've lost count of the amount of times I've taught a workshop and had someone shake my hand and thank me for pushing them to build their online business.
Thanking me for giving them the encouragement to shake off the shackles of the 9-5 existence and to believe in themselves and their ability to make their OWN rules.
All of them are different, but each has one thing in common.
A complete sense of overwhelming gratitude that they managed to find the strength of purpose to keep on frantically pushing, even when things seemed a hopeless battle.
For me, online business did seem daunting at first but the rewards taste sweeter than I ever imagined.
I no longer have to clock in or clock off.
I'm my own boss and do what I want, when I want, and this is exactly what I'd always dreamed of.
The recurring income streams I've created mean that my business now averages around $3,500 in daily sales, even when I do zero work.
That's more than $100,000 per month which is way over a million dollars a year.
And this now happens automatically whether I work in the business or not.
If I'm here, and I'm in a motivated frame of mind, then we'll do more.
Often much more.
But if I'm just switched off and enjoying other areas of my life then my business will drift on by at the the million dollar a year mark.
Either way means there's plenty of spare money to chase my passions and enjoy all that life has to offer.
Here's a picture of me having an amazing time in Florence:
And here's one of me soaking up the sun in the heart of Tuscany, and another just larking around in the pool:
These pictures were taken over a two day period and during this time my business grossed more than $10,000.
That's with no product launch, no big affiliates mailing for me, and less than 30 minutes work.
I'm not telling you this to brag but if you're serious about your online business then I do want you to understand two very important points.
The first is that starting your first online business IS challenging.
There's no point hiding from this... it's just the way it is and I doubt it will change anytime soon.
But the second point you need to appreciate is that once you get through these barriers then your life will never be the same again.
It's now 5:45 in the morning and I'm not sure what today will bring.
For the last two weeks I've sat back and soaked up the sun and enjoyed every second that's gone by.
But today I had a million and one ideas raging around my head and simply couldn't sleep.
Not that this is a bad thing.
So today I'll probably pull up a chair by the pool, enjoy some breakfast, and keep on writing until I feel like doing something else.
I'm sure that at some point I'll get distracted by the pool and I'm even more certain that a bottle of Morreti (or three) will head my way... purely to help the creativity process of course 
But more enjoyable than WHAT I do today is the feeling that I'm the one who calls the shots.
Not my boss.
Do you have the same sense of freedom in your life?
If the answer is NO then maybe it's time to keep on pushing hard for your dreams, no matter how bumpy the journey.
I did and it was the best set of choices I've ever made.
Whatever you decide you want in your life just remember that nothing you ever do online will be as hard tomorrow as it is today.
That I can guarantee.
I hope you enjoy your day as much as I enjoy mine and feel free to leave a comment below. It's always appreciated...
Talk soon...
